China to raise renewable energy surcharge on coal-fired power to 0.019 yuan

BEIJING | Dec 30: China will raise the renewable energy surcharge on coal-fired power by more than a quarter for non-residential and non-agricultural users from the beginning of next year, the country's state planning commission said on Wednesday.

The surcharge, which is used to support renewable power generation, will rise 0.004 yuan per kilowatt-hour, to 0.019 yuan from 0.015 yuan, the National Development and Reform Commission said in a statement on its website.

The charge will be assessed mainly against industrial users such as aluminium smelters and steel mills. Heavy industry consumes roughly 60 percent of China's electricity.

China, the world's largest energy consumer, is trying to boost renewable power and cut coal consumption as it fights chronic smog problems.

The head of the country's National Energy Administration said on Tuesday that nearly a third of the 5.7 trillion kwh of electricity China is expected to consume in 2016 will come from renewables, with more than 20 gigawatts of wind and 15 GWs of photovoltaic solar capacity being added next year.

Last week, regulators cut the prices power generators get from distributors for wind, solar and thermal power, due to declining costs.

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